Frame for a bathroom seat

ABSTRACT

A bathroom seat has a frame that includes a pair of substantially straight bars and a pair of side members. The pair of substantially straight bars have opposed ends. The pair of side members each have a pair of openings on opposite sides. Each of the openings is adapted to receive an end of a different one of the bars.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to bathroom seats and the like, andmore particularly to a bathroom seat having a frame that can bemanufactured inexpensively and shipped and stored in a small andeconomical container.

2. Description of Related Art

To prevent bathroom accidents, many physically challenged persons usebathroom seats such as bath chairs, specialty comrnodes, and transferbenches. A bath chair is especially designed to aid a person's mobilitywithin a bathroom. For example, a typical bath chair is positioned inthe bath tub or shower prior to use, and a user sits in a seat of thebath chair while taking a bath or shower. Most bath chairs have legswith suction cups or rubber feet to keep the bath chair stable and toprevent surfaces contacted by the legs from being scratched. Many bathchairs have handgrips that aid those with balance problems and to makeit easier to remove the bath chair from the tub.

Transfer benches aid those that find it difficult to get in and/or outof a bath tub. A typical transfer bench includes a seat that slides on apair of rails such that the seat can be positioned partially in andpartially out of the bath tub. A user sits on the seat positionedoutside of the bath tub, then slides the seat along the rails until theseat is located in the bath tub.

FIG. 1 is a perspective, exploded view of a known transfer bench 20including a seat 22 for a user to sit in while bathing. The transferbench 20 includes a frame 24 having a front bar 26 and a rear bar 28connected to a right support bar 30 and a left support bar 32. As shownin FIG. 1, the front bar 26, the rear bar 28, the right support bar 30,and the left support bar 32 are connected together via several fasteners34. The seat 22 is connected to horizontal middle sections of the frontbar 26 and the rear bar 28 via gliding elements 34. The horizontalmiddle sections of the front bar 26 and the rear bar 28 form a pair ofrails that the seat 22 slides along.

Users of bathroom seats often need to take their seats with them whentraveling. Unfortunately, assembled bathroom seats are relatively largeand bulky. For example, a problem arises with the transfer bench 20 ofFIG. 1 in that while the transfer bench 20 may be partially disassembledfor transport by removing the fasteners 34, at least one tool isrequired to partially disassemble the transfer bench 20 for transportand to reassemble the transfer bench 20 at a destination. In addition,the fasteners 34 (and/or the tool or tools) may be lost duringtransport. It would be advantageous to have a bathroom seat that doesnot require a tool for disassembly and/or reassembly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a frame for use in a bathroom seat. Theframe includes a pair of substantially straight bars having opposedends; and a pair of side members each having a pair of openings onopposite sides, wherein each of the openings is adapted to receive anend of a different one of the bars.

A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a bathroomseat having advantages not taught by the prior art.

Another objective is to provide a bathroom seat having a frame that canbe manufactured inexpensively.

A further objective is to provide a bathroom seat having a frame thatcan be shipped and stored in a small and economical container.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following more detailed description, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way ofexample, the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying drawings illustrate the present invention. In suchdrawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective, exploded view of a known transfer benchincluding a seat for a user to sit in while bathing;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a frame for a bathroom seat including apair of bars coupled between a pair of side members, wherein upper endsof legs of the side members connect to ends of the bars;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of one of the connections of FIG. 2between an upper end of one of the legs and an end of one of the bars;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a transfer benchincluding a seat slidely coupled to the frame of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the frame ofFIG. 2 suitable for use in a bath chair;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the bath chair once the seat has beenmounted upon the frame;

FIG. 7 another embodiment of the frame of FIG. 2 suitable for use in acommode; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view thereof once the commode has been mountedupon the frame.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As shown in FIGS. 2-8, the bathroom seat may be, for example, a transferbench, a bath chair, or a commode, and the terms seat and bathroom seatshould be construed to include of these variations, as well asalternative embodiments that would be obvious to one skilled in the art.

In one embodiment, shown in FIG. 2, the frame 40 may include a firstside member 42 and a second side member 44, and a first bar 46 and asecond bar 48. The first and second bars 46 and 48 are adapted to beconnected between the first side member 42 and the second side member44. The first side member 42 may include two legs 50A and 50B, eachhaving an upper leg portion 80 and a lower leg portion 82. The lower legportions 82 of the legs 50A and 50B are substantially straight anddefine axes of the legs 50A and 50B that are substantially vertical. Theupper leg portions 80 are shown in FIG. 3, and described in greaterdetail below.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the first side member 42 alsoincludes a support bar 52 connected between the upper ends 80C of thelegs 50A and 50B. The support bar 52 rigidly connects the upper ends 80Cof the legs 50A and 50B and defines a distance between the upper ends80C of the legs 50A and 50B. The support bar 52 has two opposed ends anda middle section. The middle section is substantially straight anddefines an axis of the support bar 52. The ends of the support bar 52are curved away from the axis in the same direction such that the endsof the support bar 52 are angular. The support bar 52 is substantially“U”-shaped, and is inverted when connected to the upper end 80C of thelegs 50A and 50B. The legs 50A and 50B and the support bar 52 arepreferably formed from metal tubing, and the support bar 52 ispreferably welded to the upper ends 80C of the legs 50A and 50B. Weldingis preferred other known connecting means as it not only reduces anoverall size of connections, it also results in a product that hassmooth lines and is visually appealing.

The first bar 46 and the second bar 48 are substantially identical. Thefirst bar 46 and the second bar 48 are substantially straight, and eachhas two opposed ends and a middle section. As described in more detailbelow, the upper end 80C of the leg 50A of the first side member 42 hasan opening adapted to receive one of the ends (i.e., a correspondingend) of the first bar 46. The upper end 80C of the leg 50A connects tothe corresponding end of the first bar 46 at a connection 54. Similarly,the upper end 80C of the leg 50B of the first side member 42 has anopening adapted to receive one of the ends (i.e., a corresponding end)of the second bar 48. The upper end 80C of the leg 50B connects to thecorresponding end of the second bar 48 at a connection 56.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the first side member 42 includes a handrail 58 connected to the legs 50A and 50B and the support bar 52 of thefirst side member 42. The hand rail 58 has two ends and a middlesection. As shown in FIG. 2, one end of the hand rail 58 is connected tothe leg 50A and the corresponding end of the support bar 52, and theother end of the hand rail 58 is connected to the leg 50B and thecorresponding end of the support bar 52. When the frame 40 is assembledas shown in FIG. 2, the middle section of the hand rail 58 is elevatedabove the middle section of the support bar 52. Like the legs 50A andSOB and the support bar 52, the hand rail 58 is preferably formed frommetal tubing. The hand rail 58 is preferably welded to the upper ends80C of the legs 50A and SOB and the ends of the support bar 52.

The second side member 42 includes two legs 60A and 60B that areconstructed in a similar manner to the leg 50A.

The second side member 44 also includes a support bar 62 connectedbetween the legs 60A and 60B. The support bar 62 is substantiallysimilar to the support bar 52. The support bar 62 rigidly connects thelegs 60A and 60B and defines a distance between the upper ends of thelegs 60A and 60B. The support bar 62 has two opposed ends and a middlesection. The middle section is substantially straight and defines anaxis of the support bar 62. The ends of the support bar 62 are curvedaway from the axis in the same direction such that the ends of thesupport bar 62 are angular. The support bar 62 is substantially“U”-shaped, and is inverted when connected to the legs 60A and 60B. Thelegs 60A and 60B and the support bar 62 are preferably formed from metaltubing, and the support bar 62 is preferably welded to the legs 60A and60B.

The upper end 80C of the leg 60A of the second side member 44 has anopening adapted to receive the other end (i.e., a corresponding end) ofthe first bar 46. The upper end 80C of the leg 60A connects to thecorresponding end of the first bar 46 at a connection 64. Similarly, theupper end of the leg 60B of the second side member 44 has an openingadapted to receive the other end (i.e., a corresponding end) of thesecond bar 48. The upper end of the leg 60B connects to thecorresponding end of the second bar 48 at a connection 66.

As described above, the legs 50A-SOD, the support bars 52 and 62, andthe hand rail 58 are preferably formed from metal tubing. The metaltubing may be, for example, stainless steel tubing. Alternately, themetal tubing may be anodized aluminum tubing.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the connection 54 of FIG. 2, whichillustrates the upper leg portion 80 of the leg 50A. The upper legportion 80 includes a first portion 80A, a curved portion 80B, and anupper end 80C. The first portion 80A is straight along the axes of theleg 50A, to enable the telescopic engagement of the upper leg portion 80with the lower leg portion 82. The curved portion 80B is curved awayfrom the axes of the leg 50A such that the upper ends 80 of the legs 50Aand 50B are angular and end in the upper end 80C that is substantiallyhorizontal and approximately 90 degrees from the axes of the legs 50Aand 50B. The upper end 80C is adapted to engage the corresponding end 72of the first bar 46. It is noted that the other connections 56, 64, and66 of FIG. 2 are similar to the connection 54. The upper end 80C ispreferably generally horizontal, while the first portion 80A ispreferably generally vertical. For purposes of this disclosure, theterms generally horizontal, generally vertical, and approximately 90degrees should all be construed on the basis of functionality and not onprecise geometric measurements. These terms should be constructed toinclude any angles with respect to the ground that are functionallyequivalent for supporting the seat, and should not be construed to limitthe claims to narrow and specific geometries.

As described above, the upper end 80C of the leg 50A has an opening 74adapted to receive the corresponding end 72 of the first bar 46. In theembodiment of FIG. 3, the opening 74 in the upper end 80C of the leg 50Ahas an inner diameter that slightly exceeds an outer diameter of thecorresponding end 72 of the first bar 46. That is, the end 72 of thefirst bar 46 is a “slip fit” into the opening 74 in the upper end 80C ofthe leg 50A.

Further, in the embodiment of FIG. 3 the connection 54 is a push-buttonlock connection. As shown in FIG. 3, the end 72 of the first bar 46includes a spring-loaded button 76 extending outward from an outersurface, and the upper end 80C of the leg 50A has a corresponding hole78. To form the connection 54 during assembly of the frame 40, thebutton 76 is depressed, and the end 72 of the first bar 46 is slid intothe opening 74 in the upper end 80C of the leg 50A until thespring-loaded button 76 pops into the corresponding hole 78. When thebutton 76 is positioned in the hole 78, the first bar 46 issubstantially rigidly connected to the upper end 80C of the leg 50A. Toseparate the first bar 46 from the upper end 80C of the leg 50A duringdisassembly of the frame 40, the button 76 positioned in the hole 78 isdepressed, and the end 72 of the first bar 46 is slid out of the opening74 in the upper end 80C of the leg 50A.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a transfer bench 90including seat 92 slidely coupled to the frame 40 of FIG. 2. In theembodiment of FIG. 4, the seat 92 is slidely coupled to the middlesection of the first bar 46 (and optionally to the second bar 48) viagliding elements 94. The seat 92 is provided for a user to sit in whilebathing in a bath tub. The substantially parallel middle sections of thefirst bar 46 and the second bar 48 form a pair of rails along which theseat 92 can slide via the gliding elements 94. The user may use the handrail 58 to slide to the seat 92 along the middle sections of the firstbar 46 and the second bar 48, thereby entering or leaving the bath tub.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the frame 40of FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 6, this embodiment is suitable for use whenthe seat is a bath chair 84. In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the first bar46 and the second bar 46 are shorter, and the hand rail 58 is notincluded. The bath chair 84 may be coupled to the first bar 46 and thesecond bar 48 of the frame 40 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the frame 40 ofFIG. 2 suitable for use when the seat is a commode 86, as shown in FIG.8. In the embodiment of FIG. 7, the first bar 46 and the second bar 46are shorter, and a second hand rail 100, similar to the hand rail 58, isconnected to the legs 60A and 60B and the support bar 62 of the secondside member 44. The commode 86, shown in FIG. 8, may be mounted on thefirst bar 46 and the second bar 48 of the frame 40 of FIG. 7 such that atank 88 is supported thereunder.

As claimed, the invention focuses on the preferred embodiment whereinthe upper end 80C of the leg 50A has the opening 74, and thecorresponding end 72 of the first bar 46 fits into the opening 74. Itshould be understood, however, that this terminology is specificallydefined to include the opposite configuration wherein the leg 50A fitsinto an opening (not shown) of the corresponding end 72 of the first bar46.

While the invention has been described with reference to at least onepreferred embodiment, it is to be clearly understood by those skilled inthe art that the invention is not limited thereto. Rather, the scope ofthe invention is to be interpreted only in conjunction with the appendedclaims.

1. A frame for use in a bathroom seat, the frame comprising: a pair ofsubstantially straight bars having opposed ends; and a pair of sidemembers each having a pair of openings on opposite sides, wherein eachof the openings is adapted to receive an end of a different one of thebars.
 2. The frame as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the sidemembers comprises a pair of legs, and wherein an upper end of each ofthe legs has a different one of the openings.
 3. The frame as recited inclaim 2, wherein the upper end of each of the legs is adapted to connectto the end of the bar received by the opening.
 4. The frame as recitedin claim 3, wherein each end of each of the bars comprises aspring-loaded button extending outward from an outer surface, andwherein the upper end of each of the legs has a hole adapted to receivea corresponding one of the buttons.
 5. The frame as recited in claim 2,wherein each of the side members further comprises a support barconnected between the upper ends of the legs.
 6. The frame as recited inclaim 5, wherein the legs and the support bar are formed from metaltubing, and wherein the support bar is welded to the upper end s of thelegs.
 7. The frame as recited in claim 5, wherein at least one of theside members further comprises a hand rail connected to the upper endsof the legs and the support bar.
 8. The frame as recited in claim 7,wherein the legs, the support bar, and the hand rail are formed frommetal tubing, and wherein the hand rail is welded to the support bar andthe upper ends of the legs.
 9. A bathroom seat, comprising: a framehaving: a pair of substantially straight bars having opposed ends; and apair of side members each having a pair of openings on opposite sides,wherein each of the openings is adapted to receive an end of a differentone of the bars; and a seat coupled to the frame.
 10. The bathroom seatas recited in claim 9, wherein each of the side members of the framecomprises a pair of legs, and wherein an upper end of each of the legshas a different one of the openings.
 11. The bathroom seat as recited inclaim 10, wherein the upper end of each of the legs of the frame isadapted to connect to the end of the bar received by the opening. 12.The bathroom seat as recited in claim 9, wherein the seat is slidablymounted upon the frame.
 13. The bathroom seat as recited in claim 10,wherein each of the side members of the frame further comprises asupport bar connected between the upper ends of the legs.
 14. Thebathroom seat as recited in claim 13, wherein the legs and the supportbar of the frame are formed from metal tubing, and wherein the supportbar is welded to the upper ends of the legs.
 15. The bathroom seat asrecited in claim 13, wherein at least one of the side members of theframe further comprises a hand rail connecting the upper ends of thelegs and the support bar.
 16. The bathroom seat as recited in claim 15,wherein the legs, the support bar, and the hand rail are formed frommetal tubing, and wherein the hand rail is welded to the support bar andthe upper ends of the legs.
 17. A bathroom seat comprising: a pair ofsubstantially straight bars having opposed ends; a pair of side memberseach having a pair of openings on opposite sides, wherein each of theopenings is adapted to receive an end of a different one of the bars,wherein each of the side members includes a pair of legs that eachinclude a first portion that is generally vertical, a curved portion,and an upper end that is generally horizontal and terminates in one ofthe openings, and wherein each of the side members further comprises asupport bar connected between the pair of legs; and a seat adapted to bemounted upon the pair of substantially straight bars.
 18. The bathroomseat as recited in claim 17, wherein the seat adapted to be slidablymounted upon the pair of substantially straight bars.
 19. The bathroomseat as recited in claim 18, wherein the seat is attached to a pair ofgliding elements that fit around one of the substantially straight bars,thereby slibably connecting the seat with the one of the substantiallystraight bars.
 20. The bathroom seat as recited in claim 17, whereineach of the legs includes an upper leg portion and a lower leg portion,the upper leg portion being adapted to telescopically engage the lowerleg portion.